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T0·71l The Palladian The Literary Magazine of Unity College Published twice yearly by the students of Unity College, Unity, Me. Volume 2 Winter 1970-71 Number 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS For Steve (dedicated to the memory of Stephen Geldmacher 4 Of Wine and a Quiet Night, by Russ Barnes 5 Two Poems, by Elizabeth C. McMahon 13 Two Stories - with an obeisance to Edgar Allan Poe: The Just, by Daniel Linehan 14 The Graveyard Rats, by Leonard Freedenberg 18 A Dream, for Two People, by Douglas Oster 21 Realism, by Russ Barnes 22 Searching in an Erratic World, by Kathryn Homstead 25 My Vietnam, by Daniel Pettingill 26 Portrait Two, by Russ Barnes 29 Concerning a Train, a prose poem, by Robert Fletcher 30 EDITORIAL BOARD Russell Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Leonard Freedenberg Kathryn Homstead Donald Mortland, Faculty Advisor Cover design by David Barnes FOR STEVE gone. sunsets, a dream lost, a knowing and an unbelieving. gone. how do I express it? Steve was too much into life to want to be placed inside lines about his death. no song of death for Steve. yet" I must write he laughed he loved and cannot find within myself the words that I woul say. he built his friendship and he was loved in turn. but these words aren't enough. perhaps a line I found on a record album cover would best express what Steve would want. it said, ~~remember me as you find." so, that's it. remember Steve as you find. he'd like that. I know he would. 5 OF WINE AND A QUIET NIGHT Russ Barnes Uncle William sat across the table from me, his baggy eyes peering intently at the chess board between us, his bald scalp moving in tiny ripples toward the desolate shoreline of his hair, his manicured fingers drumming curses at me in Morse code. "It's your move, Uncle," I said quietly, with what I hoped was just the right amount of overbearing leer. <<It is vulgar, impolite, and entirely inconsiderate of one to prod one's opponent by gloating, Ronald," he answered stiffly. "It reflects terribly upon one's upbringing." Thus roused.from his reverie, he lifted his silk smoking jacket, rammed his index finger somewhere into the depths of his snowy paunch, worked it vigorously around for several seconds, and extracted a large wad of lint which he flicked into a nearby wastebasket with the casual expertise of many years' experience. "Someday," I said, "you are going to puncture your large intestine." He continued to glare at the Queen's Knight's Pawn as if it were a practicing Democrat and answered me only with a grunt. I was beginning to be concerned over the possibility of permanent damage to my heart if this excitement should much longer continue when someone knocked viciously upon the door and waited for no answer before entering. Uncle looked up casually, grimaced with distaste, and, with false teeth clenched, muttered, "The sea has given up its dead." No doubt it looked that way but it was merely my compatriots Alton "The Mantis" Cantwright and Winfred K. Turfwald. "Hiya, Unc!" cried the Mantis. Uncle tenderly rubbed the end of his nose but gave no other indication of life or further interest in living. <<You're in trouble, baby," Mantis said as he walked to Uncle's side and looked at the chessboard. <<Your rooks are out of it completely, your knights are too far out to come back in time to help, your bishops are both captured, and your queen is about to get raped." He looked down compassionately and laid a gentle hand on Uncle's shoulder. "Give it up, old man, give it up." 6 Uncle sniffled slightly, pushed back his chair, and stood up with the quiet dignity of a king. He tilted his head so that he could look up into the bulging eyes of the six foot six inch Mantis. nYou, sir, are a stylish man," he said sternly and with reddening ears, nyou have Vikingstyle manners, Neanderthal-style hair, and old-style smell. I could bear you if you would quietly remain a freak of nature, but you insist upon entering into the circles of humanity. Therefore, I am warning you. Leave these premises immediately or I will remove you bodily, and without regard to your wellbeing when you land upon the jagged rocks below!" Whether or not Uncle William . could actually have removed the Mantis is not important. The important thing is that at that moment he believed he could. Like the Blowfish of the Southern Seas, Uncle William swells enormously and looks ferocious. And, like the fish, if his bluff is called, he deflates and looks worried. I grabbed my coat and strode to the door. nr shall be out quite late, Uncle; please don't wait up for me." nl shan't," he answered. nu mph," said Winfred. "Umph," he answered. "Bye, Unc," said Mantis. nMay your hair fall out," he answered. We closed the door and, mercifully, were in the midst of a quiet autumn night. "Well," I said, watching the noiseless dance of some falling leaves, "where do we go from here?" "I know just the place," said Mantis, "but we 're gonna need plenty of inner power to get there. And I have just the thing." He turned to Winnie and began rummaging through the little guy's coat pockets. He gave a short cry of triumph and, with a flourish, held aloft in the moonlight a dark, kidney-shaped object which seemed to squirm 7 with a life of its own. "Bless you, Mantis!" I cried. "It's a wineskin!" Mantis grinned his toothy grin and began unscrewing the top. ((Right on," he laughed, ((and it's filled with my old man's home-brewed, one hundred percent kosher dandelion wine." He lifted the skin to his lips and sent a long, thin stream of amber liquid rushing down his throat. "Tasty?" I asked. "Tasty," he answered, and slowly started to choke. We ambled along for nearly half an hour after that, using the wineskin at whatever time we so desired, and heading in the general direction of the first bar we came to. The Mantis had been as generous as possible when filling the two-quart skin and assured me that it was completely kosher. By the time we reached 5th Street I was feeling absolutely Jewish. ((Let us stop here," said Mantis as we arrived at the corner of 5th and Montvale. "The light is good, the trees are shady, and all is groovy. Yes, let us stop at this veritable oasis and quench our burning thirsts. The fort is still a long way off and we should refresh ourselves lest we be unable to fend off the Arabs who will undoubtedly attack us." He giggled. "Besides, I can't walk much farther." Had we quenched our thirsts any more we would doubtlessly have been attacked, but something caught Winnie's eye and he spoke for the first time that week. ((Look," he said. The Mantis and I learned long ago to pay attention to Winnie when he says something--when he says anything, in fact. We followed his gaze down the sidewalk and there, chained to a parking meter in front of Mort Pillsbury's Head Shop, squatting calmly on the hood of a car and picking fleas from its arms, was an ape. More than an ape, it was a large and incredibly hairy gorilla. ((Wow!" said Mantis. "Let's look into this!" 8 We strolled casually over to the beast and were surprised to find that it was not, as we had assumed, naked, but rather was wearing a uniform of sorts. Heavy, dark red shorts and a thick, dark red sweat shirt with the number 50 printed on it were topped by a small, shinyblack hockey helmet. The gorilla seemed not at all surprised to see us and merely blinked calmly with peaceful black eyes. Winfred reached up and began rubbing the creature behind its ears. It returned to its search for the elusive flea and, showing no inclination to tell us about itself, we decided to find some evidence as to just what it might be doing there. Roughly five minutes later we found some printing on the door of the car. Careful deciphering by all three of us soon produced the information that we were in the presence of Rollo, The World's Only Roller-Derby Playing Gorilla. nFar out," said Winnie. nshut up," said the gorilla. ((What?" gasped I. ny OU heard me," Said the gorilla. I was about to start running when I looked at the Mantis. He was red in the face and shaking with silent laughter. It then dawned on me that the Mantis, among his many talents, was an excellent ventriloquist. ((This is going to be a fun evening," announced the gorilla. It didn't take Mantis long to pick the lock on the gorilla's collar. ((Come on, Rollo," I said. And as if we three were leading it to the promised land, the gorilla jumped from the hood of the car and ambled down the sidewalk behind us. 9 We had gone scarcely more than a hundred yards when the lights of a bar were shining upon us and I knew we were going no farther. Not just an ordinary drinking establishment, this venerable dungeon was known as Red Nick's Bar. It was here, too, that the Mantis's father had claimed permanent residence every night from eight until midnight. Surprisingly, the entrance of three freaks and a gorilla made little impression upon Nick's patrons. Assuredly, a few looked when the Mantis hit his head on a ceiling beam, a few looked when Winnie tripped over the doorsill because he forgot to take off his dark glasses, and a few looked when I fell on my stomach because my knees suddenly stopped functioning. But none, I swear, None looked when Rollo shuffled in on all fours and began looking interestedly at the salted peanuts. Mantis helped me to my feet and we weaved steadily toward the bar. "You never could hold your liquor," said Rollo. ((Shut up, Mantis!" I snarled. All of us took seats at the bar except Rollo, who grabbed a bag of peanuts and began tearing at it with strong and eager fingers. Cold Eddy, the bartender, came over in a quick sprint. "Hey, buddy!" he snapped, "you pay for them things before you eat cem!" ccDraw two!" said Rollo, without looking up. Eddy looked at Rollo more closely. "You're a gorilla!" ((I'm also thirsty," said Rollo. "Draw two!" The Cold One reached down, drew two beers, and placed them before the munching gorilla. "That's forty apiece for the drafts and ten for the nuts," Eddy said. ccMy friend is buying," Rollo answered dfsinterestedly as Mantis slid the money across the bar. "Why do you gorillas talk with your mouths closed?" asked Ed. 10 "Most of us have atrociously bad breath," answered Rollo, who then began shuffling toward the other end of the bar in search of more nuts. On his way, unfortunately, he bumped into a huge customer seated several stools down from us and who, in our condition, we had not previously noticed. nwatch where you're goin!" bawled a gravelly voice, and the whole room went quiet. The man Rollo had bumped was none other than Herman Cantwright, father of the Mantis, and affectionately known as Herman the Horror. Quickly described, Herman looks like Rollo with a rough shave on his whole body. He also has a temper worse than twenty gorillas put together. His only hobbies are fracturing skulls and busting furniture, drinking and painting houses being his lifetime occupations. Rollo stared quietly at the furious human glaring at him and, for whatever reason crossed his monkey mind, opened his mouth in a truly massive yawn. I don't know if the Horror was more affected by someone yawning in the face of one of his threats or the sight of some deadlylooking fangs. nPsssst, Herman," said Eddy, nthat's a gorilla." Herm snorted, but took a step backward to get a better look at his intended victim. nHiya, Dad," said the Mantis, stepping up beside Rollo. "Ain't too damn careful who you're hangin' around with lately are you?" the Horror said warmly. ~~You, sir," said Rollo, nshould remain quiet lest you be beaten severely about the head and shoulders." 11 Mantis, I might add, would never have said this to his old man's face, but with a gorilla's mouth and body working for you, how can you go wrong? nYou sound like my son," said Herman. ''You look like my mother," said Rollo. Gorilla or not, the Horror would stand for none of that. He gave Rollo a severe shove on the shoulders which actually succeeded in moving the 500 pound beast backward. This, however, was no ordinary, mild-mannered anthropoid to be shoved about by a barroom brawler. With a casual, backhand sweep of his forearm, Rollo sent Herman sprawling back into the bar. The Horror was surprised, very surprised, but recovered himself quickly. He pulled in his huge beertrained stomach, thus revealing his massive silver belt buckle which was made in Mexico and depicted a scene of some ancient orgy, and charged Rollo with a deep roar. Not for naught, however, had this hairy athlete been roller derby's most feared competitor. As the Horror reached him he applied a quick and very hard knee block and, with a growl of what seemed to be satisfaction, tossed his opponent toward the back of the room. Herman pumped his arms and legs mightily and bellowed throughout his entire flight, but it was to no avail. Three barflies, two hookers, and the Saturday Evening Beer and Marching Society watched in amazement as the Horror sailed over their heads and landed with a tremendous crash in the middle of a table of poker playing construction workers. With cards, chips, and table legs raining down upon him the Horror thundered, ''Help me get that monkey!!" Immediately the men around the Horror began rushing Rollo, figuring that the unknown dangers of tackling a gorilla could not be half as bad as certain disfigurement at the hands of a raving madman. 12 The Mantis was now beside himself with excitement and was giving Rollo an outstanding voice. ''Tackle me, sirrah, and all the hounds of hell will not stay my vengeance!" Even the unusual event of an ape imitating Shakespeare gave no pause to the rush of the construction workers who quickly buried Rollo in a pile of bodies, flying fists, and monkey wrenches. The pile, however, quickly untangled as Rollo began giving serious attention to his work. Biting, clawing, and throwing men in all directions, the gorilla shouted, "But all I want to do is establish a meaningful and viable relationship with you members of the hard hat society!" At this point, the Mantis wandered too close to the action. Rollo's giant arm stretched out and delivered a tremendous blow to the Mantis's chest. This not only knocked out the Mantis and left the gorilla speechless, it made Winnie's wineskin, hidden all this time beneath the Mantis's coat, pop up into the air and land with a plop on its u nconscious carrier's chest. ''My kid!" screamed the Horror, "you've knocked out my kid's bladder!" Rollo turned to meet the attack of his largest opponent, but was much too slow. The Horror had now secured a length of brass railing intended for the bar. With a swing reminiscent of Mickey Mantle at his best, the veteran barstool crusader caught the hapless creature square on the jaw. Without a groan, sigh, or inspirational speech, the mighty Rollo slumped to the floor unconscious. "That was great, Herman," said Cold Eddy, "helping your kid out like that." "That wasn't it," said the Horror with a quiet snarl and look of utter scorn, "I just didn't want no stinkin' monkey establishing a mean and vile relationship with me!" 13 I look about the house. On a piece of paper I find his name. He is a man bouncing his new daughter on his knee or holding his son on his lap. He is a picture in a family album. When we talk, we call him "Daddy." When we pray, his name falls from our lips. I've been searching for him all my life, yet the older I get, the further away he seems I'll never find him now, for he's nowhere to be found. He was real once but not now. To me he is someone to hear stories about; someone I'm told I resemble. He's like a hero in a novel,- you love him and wish him near, yet he never comes. A Thunder Cloud - it passed over me and blocked out the sun. It rained a little - but that's all right, the trees and flowers needed a bath anyway. You 're a thunder cloud too - you passed by me, and took away the sun. I cried a little - but I guess I had to; there was something in my eye. Elizabeth C. McMahon 14 THE JUST Daniel F. Linehan Death, as a means of punishment, is the most permanent form of penance. For some it is a long and frustrating wait, in the death cell, for legal execution. For others it is quick, at the hands of an aggressor. But what does this accomplish? If a man has been given the death penalty for a crime, no matter whether it was through judicial channels or not, why should he be allowed a quick death, with only the minimum amount of pain? No, my friends, the man that has wronged me shall not repent that easily. He shall find out what it is to die for a crime. The physical pain, the mental anguish, the knowledge that death is near yet so far away. And only I, the real executioner, if merciful, can grant his final wish, Death. Do you think I am Mad? I am mad, but at the courts. The judiciary system has become a farce. They cater to the demands of the criminal, by offering quick death, for hideous crimes. This is no way to prevent crime. The criminal knows that if he is to make atonement with his life it will be quick and painless. When the courts act in this manner it is not a deterrent to crime, but an easy way out for the criminal. He does not have to justify his reasons or suffer at any length. That is why I feel it is my duty, as a citizen of the state and a member of society, to inflict slow death on the man that wronged me. It is not merely vengeance that provokes my actions, although it does play a part, but it is notice to other criminals that the courts are not going to save them from society. He will be released this day, from his detention cell, at the County Court House. Long have I waited for this moment. An entire week has passed since the authorities detained him. Vengeance and justification will be mine. 15 There is a room, below the compound of my home, that has been outfitted for this occasion. It is quite simple in design, actually. The room is approximately ten feet long and ten feet wide, with only one piece of furniture, a torture rack. The rack, which I designed myself, is very similar to those used during the Medieval and Inquisition periods. It has the basic mechanism of stretching the body over a very coarse piece of wood, but with one addition, the use of wires. If a criminal is subjected to only one punishment he will become accustomed to it, and mentally disregard the physical pain. So, I have installed into the rack a series of electronic shocks, which burst forth periodically, to different parts of the body. These shocks are very unstable and may strike minutes or hours apart, striking one part of the body or consuming the whole body. I may assure you that the voltage is not enough to kill him, just stimulate. I have introduced the shocks for only one reason, to keep him conscious. If he weren't the punishment would be to no avail. Therefore, it is my conviction that the victim will either die from the stretch mechanism or become insane. In either event the final effect is the same, slow death. Ah, there he is now on the courthouse steps. Should I rush up to him? No, that would be too suspicious. I must do it nonchalantly in order for my dinner invitation to seem nothing more than an invitation. He's accepting the invitation within the false proposal it is being expressed. A night to make amends, to forgive and forget the crime he committed. The fool, does he think that I would offer him a night of entertainment through dinner, pleasant conversation, and a game of chess after the crime he perpetrated against me? I think he is suspicious of me. 16 The dinner was excellent but unenjoyable, for I was impatient. I had to be patient, gain his confidence, and then strike. This process was especially hard; I despised him and could not stand his presence in my home. Finally, the moment came; I rendered him unconscious and proceeded as planned. While I was having a drink, I heard him scream. He awoke earlier than I expected and promptly surmised that death was near. Needless to say, I was glad that he had realized the horror from the start, because then his mental agony would almost equal his physical agony. It was amazing, only fifteen minutes on the rack and-he received forty-six shocks, that I had counted, and he grew a half inch. He was screaming like a madman, and I feared that he might break down mentally before he was justly punished. I tried to tell him that this was only mere punishment for his crime and he should accept it as a man who wants to make atonement. But he would not listen to me; he just kept on screaming, saying that he did not deserve such punishment. I told him it was not for him to decide; I was the judge and knew what should be done. So, I left him there for two hours, while I read the correspondence for the day. It was then that I decided to end his life by more conventional means. I had just received the electricity bill and it was much too high. Much to my dismay I had to perform the finale. When I arrived next to him, he begged me with all the sincerity of his heart to let him go. For some strange reason I got the impression that he wanted to live. Imagine that, a common criminal wanting to live in a society of decent people! He really looked sincere, with tears streaming down his face; had I not known his past and had he not wronged me I would have let him live. But I did know; it's in his blood to be a criminal, so it is his blood I will deprive him of. Then placing a bucket under each wrist and joint I cut them. He was so full of the want to live, it was a pity he had bad blood. 17 Having completed my first execution for society, I now prepared a plan for its members to follow. It was a basic plan. "If anyone has wronged you (as in my case), then you may inflict just punishment, through torture." The rule was simple and very liberal: there could be so many varied forms of punishment. Now was my moment of triumph. I proposed to the world my plan, and as I expected the masses of people, discontent with the courts, flocked to my side. Everyone was willing to be an executioner of just punishment; even members of the judiciary system joined the group stating that, they too, were against the courts and their leniency. It was a wonderful night for me, their savior, the father of the society for just punishment. That night all that joined repeated their pledge, nTo rid society of the criminal and become a pure, honest, and evil-free society." Yes, last night was wonderful. It was the beginning of a new era, a new reality. But now as I look onto the streets filled with my followers, there is nothing but mass murder. People are killing people frantically. No one person can escape the punishment of the just society. I have created nchaos." The beginning of time, again. 18 THE GRAVEYARD RATS Leonard Freedenberg I was leaving the R---Graveyard at dusk, when I chanced on Jasper Wright. I had spent the better part of the dreary afternoon at the grave of my beloved April. He stepped out of a cross-path and collided with me. A clatter of metal and wood drew attention first to the pick and shovel he had been carrying. The man immediately excused himself and, as the dying rays of the sun shone full on my face, he gasped my name. I stood there in the path, looking at a forlorn, ragwrapped shell of a human being, whose face, stained by the sinking orange sun, seemed covered with blood. I looked at him stupidly and then he spoke his name. Oh, sad fortune, he was my best friend from my University days! He had risen high in the legal world and was said to have the best legal mind in our time. Then came the scandal of 19-- and his career was snuffed out like a halfburned candle. I threw my arms 'round him in tearful greeting and he, likewise, embraced me. We gathered up the tools and retired to his little shack at the rear of the grounds. There, over a few glasses of cheap Scotch, he reviewed his history since 19--. After having me swear a most solemn oath, he told me his greatest secret. Jasper Wright was not only caretaker of R---Graveyard, but resident grave-robber as well! I was aghast. I sat speechless at the thought of the best legal brain in all America reduced to such a degrading job and such a revolting sideline. Wright carefully outlined the location of the grave he was to rob that night, and told me of the fabulous diamond stick-pin and the beautiful emerald cuff-links which adorned the body. The gold watch-chain was an item he would also be glad to possess. 19 I asked Wright what he had done with all the past treasures he had stolen from the luckless corpses. He became embarrassed but finally admitted that he had turned to alcohol as a means of ridding his mind of the past glory he had attained. It also helped to drown out the constantly recurring images of the graveyard rats. As big as dogs some of them were, and their voracious appetites left few corpses untouched. They would gnaw through the bottoms of the coffins and drag the bodies down their tunnels to be devoured. He had lost many a prize that way, but did not intend to lose this one. I begged him to give up his twisted existence and rejoin the world of sanity. After much pleading, I finally convinced him to do so. After receiving his promise that tonight's foray would be his last, I left, contented that I had saved him from such a mind-warping life. I retired early and awoke refreshed and ready to help my old friend move his meager belongings to my home. After a light breakfast I set out for the R--- Graveyard and went at once to Wright's little shack. Imagine my worry when no answer came to my knock. I tried the door and, finding it unlocked, entered the hovel, only to become frantic when I saw the bed had not been slept in. I went quickly to the spot where the infamous grave lay, and found the shovel and pick; but of Wright there was no sign. I lifted the cover of the coffin, and a sight more horrible than a dead body greeted my eyes. The coffin was empty! A jagged, gaping hole in the bottom of the coffin confirmed my worst fears. The body had been stolen by the rats and Jasper Wright had gone after it! My mind in a turmoil and sick with worry, I ran wildly through the Graveyard seeking help. I finally reached the main office, and there I told the sad tale to the manager. This good man immediately summoned the police, who arrived with shovels, lanterns, and guns, and we set out for the grave once more. 20 There was a trail of blood and fluid, embalming fluid I suppose, leading away from the hole, and not ten feet from the entrance of the tunnel lay the body of a giant rat, shot neatly through the head. I had never seen such a tremendous rat in all my life. It was fully as big as a basset hound! The tunnels were large and we only had to stoop a little to make our way. We followed the crimson trail through the dank earth and found another dead rat and, further on, still a third. We found three more together, all shot, and an empty revolver had crushed the skull of a fourth. I knew now that Wright was unarmed, and shuddering to think what fiendish play the rats would have with him, urged the police on. We were at a fork in the tunnel with one branch going only about ten feet further. Down the main path we went, but only twenty feet or so, where we found the remains of the corpse which had been Wright's undoing. Surely I knew that Wright was either hopelessly lost or dead. The police were ready to call off the search but I implored them to explore that shorter passage. On closer inspection we saw that the tunnel ended there because the roof had caved in. We dug frantically, and finally we came to the bottom of an old coffin, gnawed through like the one through which we had descended into this pit of Hell. We tore at the boards until finally they came away and revealed the dead body of Jasper Wright, his hands clutching the velvet lining. What had happened became all too clear. The rats, with their uncanny minds, had sensed that Wright was no longer able to defend himself. He now became the hunted. Seeking refuge in one of the numerous passages, he must have rejoiced when the roof caved in behind him, making him temporarily safe from his ravenous pursuers. When he tried to crawl further, the horrid truth must have burst upon him. He was imprisoned in an old empty coffin. Jasper Wright had buried himself alive! 21 A DREAM FOR TWO PEOPLE Douglas Oster As we look out across the brown fields, fields filled with strange brown death, Our thoughts are filled with love and new experiences, Awakening and birth of feelings, that are as heavy As the fresh, crisp air we breathe, As the deep thoughts we feel. Perhaps we are just beginning to taste the cup of ultimate happiness. Ultimate happiness runs in many strange directions But all directions lead to the center of the cup, called love. As the black bird attempts to devour the corn from the brown fields, Maybe we should attempt to devour the cup of ultimate happiness. Yes, my friend, the cup of ultimate happiness Filled with the precious substance, love! 22 REALISM Russ Barnes Sam explained it to me first. ''Realism is what is really happening, baby," was the way he put it. This is awfully deep thinking for Sam, and I asked him what had brought this statement on. "This," he said, with an off-hand gesture toward a newspaper lying nearby. I picked it up and nearly lost my eyeballs in staring at the headlines. "Crippled Mother Burns Her Two-Headed Son Alive," it screamed. "Hey, man, " I said, "you're really digging into the classics these days, aren't you?" "Aw, that's not classical," Sam said, "I just read The Investigator when I really want to know what's going on." I flipped through the paper, observing such lines as, "Eating A Charcoal-Broiled Steak Is Like Smoking 3,000 Cigarettes," and "Laxatives Found To Cause Rickets." "This isn't realism," I said; "it's junk." Sam was deeply hurt. "What do you mean, It's junk?" he shouted through a mouthful of tuna fish sandwich, "Didn't you see the full color pictures?" "The pictures aren't what I'm talking about. I mean it's junk because it isn't realism. This stuff isn't what's happening. This stuff, if it's true, is just events which happened on the edge of realism." "I don't know what you're talking about," Sam muttered. "If something really happened, then it's realism." I decided to explain things to him gently, hoping that things would penetrate into the nethermost regions of his brawny skull. 23 nNow what I'm talking about mostly is realism in literature. Once you see my point, I'm sure you'll have to agree. First of all, nearly every book you see today is supposed to be portraying realism in one way or another. Yet only a few of them manage to do it. nRealism, to my way of thinking, consists of all the things both good and bad which make life what it is. The author of the novel Call It Sleep portrayed the life of a Jewish boy in the slums. It is a depressing novel, full of sordid details. It shows life at its worst. It portrays realism in the slums. To the people who actually live such a life, realism consists of the sordid. ((When a person reads this novel, he is stunned by the realism portrayed in it. He has to ask himself how such conditions could actually be existing in America." Sam could take no more. nWhat about these?" he said, pointing to a list of movies at nearby theaters. nAren't these showing realism?" I looked at such titles as nThe Hot Pink Panties," and usadism, U.S.A." nThat Sadism movie is really a good one," Sam said, nespecially that part where the hero rips out his wife's tongue by the roots. To me, that's realism." nYou've almost got a point there, Sam," I said, nbut not quite. Sure, these things such as sadism and prostitution are a part of the real world. Everyone knows that. But to use these parts of realism in such a way that they seem to represent all of reality is to destroy their effect.'' nTo me, the only way to use realism effectively is to use it in interpretive literature. Make a reader or viewer say to himself, (If this is realism, what can I do to change it?'. Of course, all realism isn't bad. And if a reader or 24 viewer sees pleasant realism effectively portrayed, he should say, ~This is wonderful. How can I keep things this way?' In other words, use realism to make a reader or a movie-goer think. ncheap books and cheap movies portray only bad realism and portray it to the point where you think there is no good realism left. Such things aren't even used interpretively. It is pure rubbish used for escape and to help the author make a quick dollar. ~~To put it simply, Sam, realism used only for escape is worthless. Whether it's a movie or a book, if it uses realism only for thrills and not for thought, then it does nothing worthwhile. Realism isn't only what's happening, Sam, it's what is making things happen nAnything else?" I asked. nYeah," said Sam, "make me a tuna fish sandwich." 25 searching in an erratic world my head is unclear; my mind clouded with doubt, with uncertainty. nowhere can i find the answer which i am seeking. i wander restlessly through luminous clouds full of mendacious thruths ... searching .... searching ... searching my lonely soul seeking the response to the unanswered ... i indulge myself in a world that mingles with humanity a,nd material things, but all the while seeking ... searching ... someday ... someday, the dawn of light will penetrate, blinding the darkness. then i will answer, with certainty, with no doubt, but emotion. until that day i will be searching ... searching ... searching ... Kathy Homestead 26 MY VIETNAM Daniel Pettingill I have, of late, been reading Dr. Tom Dooley's Deliver Us From Evil. This book has prompted me to write about Vietnam as I found it. In all fairness to Dr. Dooley and to myself, I would like to point out that he wrote about the North Vietnamese who were fleeing Communist terror in 1954 and I am writing about an aggressive South Vietnamese nation in 1968-69. Just like Dr. Dooley's experience, my experience with Vietnam was military in nature. But, unlike Dr. Dooley, who tried to save lives and win against communism by love, I was in Vietnam, as an infantryman, to fight a war. July 14, 1968, found me in the city of Ben Hoa as a replacment for the 82nd Airborne Division. My first impression of that city and the country in general was that both the heat and the smell were great and almost unbearable. Day by day I became more used to the climate and the culture until I really didn't mind it at all. My unit was based at Camp Rodreguize, just outside of Hue, Vietnam, where we were fighting the North Vietnamese regulars in the mountainous jungles. Without going into detail I'll say that the food was bad, the water was bad, and, in general, life was rotten. Many of us men had wives and children at home. As for myself, I had a wife who was expecting a baby at anytime. In short we were going through a form of nhell on earth," and we were giving up a lot for the ~~privilege''! After three months in the northern part of South Vietnam, my unit pulled out and went all the way to the Saigon area where it was relocated to a position northwest of Saigon towards the Cambodian border. I spent the rest of my tour in that area. 27 During my year in Vietnam I had many buddies who paid a high price for the "freedom of the people of Vietnam." We, as a country, have given the South Vietnamese the tools to build a nation and the arms to protect that nation from oppression. It takes a strong nation to supply all we have supplied to that country, and a strong will to pour the blood of Americans into it. But it takes a blind nation to keep on paying the price it is costing us when the recipients sit back and laugh and sneer at us. What is the attitude of the South Vietnamese soldier and civilian towards us as Americans and allies? As far as I could see, all the Vietnamese want is to make a ''fast buck" off us, as we fight their rotten war for them. To best show what I mean I'll give a few, and these are only a few, of the instances I experienced while in "the Nam.'' We worked with a company of South Vietnamese soldiers who were to assume half of the combat load in our area. They refused to do anything at all unless we fed them our food. They had a food supply of their own but it didn't suit them. There were times when we were thirsty. The civilians would come and sell us a cold coke that they had stolen fro'm the United States Government off the Saigon docks. Many times the noble soldiers of the Republic of South Vietnam ran away under fire, leaving an outnumbered American force to fight their battle. Vietnamese whom we befriended would, time and again, steal everything, from pictures of our loved ones to our rifles. 28 One G. I. stopped his jeep and administered first-aid to some civilians who were victims of an auto accident. While he gave assistance some Vietnamese by-standers stole everything in his jeep. The list goes on and on. We were and still are being used by the Vietnamese people. Worst of all we are allowing American blood to be spilled while we stand by uncaring. Let's wake up before it's too late! 29 PORTRAIT TWO Russ Barnes in darkness he walked to the shore of the lake. his wandering eyes brushed the stars, touched the night; tried to pierce and to cut. on his left, on his right he saw the first reaches of the coming day. "listen," he whispered. the wind rustled past, and the quick-paced splashing of the quick-breaking waves swallowed the word. no moon-glow on the cold-pebbled shore. no moon etched the dead logs on the shore in silver and black or tinted the waves. on the whole eastern track he could see the new power of the oncoming day. ''Listen," he said. the wind rustled past, and the quick-paced splashing of the quick-breaking waves now hushed the one word. he lowered his eyes and glared at his feet set in hard-edged gravel and the play of the waves. and he gritted his teeth, and clenched his raw fists, and threw back his head, and threw back his shoulders as to carry the sky. "LISTEN!" he screamed. the wind fell short, and the quick-paced splashing of the quick-breaking waves sharply echoed the word, and he smiled. about him the sun broke the cold night in two and buried him deep in its rays. buried him deep and danced far beyond, burning such path as it chose. 30 CONCERNING A TRAIN Robert Fletcher Concerning a train, I've never been on one; but as a man sometimes does, I have put the little things that bother me first in my mind's eye. When I see or hear a train leaving at night sometimes I wish I were on it, putting miles between myself and my real self. Then the second leg of my imaginary journey always be gins. I think of the good things around me and the things I've got left to accomplish and then somehow my dream turns to one of going home.
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|Palladian Winter '70-71
|Winter 1970-1971 Palladian
|Unity College
|Universities and colleges--Unity College--Unity, Maine--Student publications
|Contains student writing and artwork
|Quimby Library, Unity College
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|IsFormatOf: Palladian Winter 70-71
The Palladian
The Literary Magazine of Unity College
Published twice yearly by the students of Unity College, Unity, Me.
Volume 2 Winter 1970-71 Number 1
For Steve (dedicated to the memory of Stephen Geldmacher 4
Of Wine and a Quiet Night, by Russ Barnes 5
Two Poems, by Elizabeth C. McMahon 13
Two Stories - with an obeisance to Edgar Allan Poe:
The Just, by Daniel Linehan 14
The Graveyard Rats, by Leonard Freedenberg 18
A Dream, for Two People, by Douglas Oster 21
Realism, by Russ Barnes 22
Searching in an Erratic World, by Kathryn Homstead 25
My Vietnam, by Daniel Pettingill 26
Portrait Two, by Russ Barnes 29
Concerning a Train, a prose poem, by Robert Fletcher 30
Russell Barnes, Editor-in-Chief
Leonard Freedenberg
Kathryn Homstead
Donald Mortland, Faculty Advisor
Cover design by David Barnes
gone. sunsets,
a dream lost,
a knowing and an unbelieving.
how do I express it?
Steve was too much into life
to want to be placed
inside lines about his death.
no song of death for Steve.
yet" I must write
he laughed
he loved
and cannot find within myself
the words that I woul say.
he built his friendship
and he was loved in turn.
but these words aren't enough.
perhaps a line I found
on a record album cover
would best express what Steve would want.
it said, ~~remember me as you find."
so, that's it.
remember Steve as you find.
he'd like that. I know he would.
Russ Barnes
Uncle William sat across the table from me, his baggy
eyes peering intently at the chess board between us, his
bald scalp moving in tiny ripples toward the desolate
shoreline of his hair, his manicured fingers drumming
curses at me in Morse code. "It's your move, Uncle," I
said quietly, with what I hoped was just the right amount
of overbearing leer.
|Palladian Winter '70-'71


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Hop to it!
Posted on April 16, 2015 in Inclusion, News
Have you visited the blog hop over at The Inclusive Class? If not, be sure to check it out in the next few days. The "hop" took place last week and featured nearly two dozen posts on inclusive education (be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to see the blog submissions). This is a great opportunity to learn about new blogs, pick up new strategies and connect with likeminded parents, educators, therapists and advocates!
From Nicole Eredics on 20 Apr 2015
Thank you for sharing!

subset: commoncrawl


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The exhibition "Contemporary Danish Architecture" presents projects that are examples of contemporary, sustainable architecture by Danish firms that merge functionality and aesthetics. The exhibition is open in Tallinn in the tunnel under Vabaduse Square from 12 September to 25 October 2015 daily at 7:00-22:00.
Exhibition "Architecture With People" presents Danish architecture that is about creating settings that make people feel safe, generate new opportunities and encourage diversity focusing strongly on environmental and social sustainability and most importantly, about putting people first. The exhibition has been developed by Danish Architecture Centre at the request of the Danish Ministry of Culture and in dialogue with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and the Danish Architects' Association. It is rooted in the Danish architectural policy "Putting people first", which was published in February 2014. The exhibition is open from 19 September to 9 November 2015 in Butterfly Lounge (Vana-Viru 13, Tallinn).
Tallinn Architecture Biennale TAB is an international architecture festival which introduces local architecture culture, current issues concerning architecture, and looks at the future of the architectural profession.
Fill out the form to send a mail with a link to the current page:


text: I put this up on the dingoo boards, but they don't seem to get a lot of eyeballs, so thought I'd ask here. I am trying to run Rondo of Blood. If I open the game in .cue format, it always kicks me back to the main menu. If I tell it to swap disks and pick the game, it just freezes the dingoo. If anyone has any input it would be most appreciated. Edit: Pathing issue. Got it sorted myself. Pointless thread now.


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Oh joy! Corn season is upon us. We've got too many favorite ways to eat it to count. Hot and buttery, of course. Amazingly delicious elote - grilled, slightly charred, slathered in creamy, spicy chile goodness. On the sweet site in puddingy cake, topped with juicy purple berries. As griddle cakes, the sweet kernels bursting in your mouth and blending with the slightly salty taste of butter and sweet maple syrup. Not as common, but no less delicious, fresh sweet corn ice cream topped with juicy peaches to get the full summer effect. Instead of offering you one recipe of our own this month, we've compiled a list of some of favorite ways to enjoy corn. Come on over to Facebook and tell us your favorite way to enjoy corn and which of these recipes you try. Some recipes you might want to try:
Elote (we suggest skipping the mayo in the recipe and just using crema, or try both and see which you prefer)
Elote en Vaso (in a cup!)
Corn, Sweet Onion, and Zucchini Saute with Fresh Mint
Fresh Corn Cakes (serve them savory with roasted tomato salsa or sweet with maple syrup)
Vaghareli Makai (spicy Indian corn)
Corn Fritters
Corn and Jalapeño Muffins
Corn Spoon Bread
Creamed Corn without the Cream
Sweet Corn Cake
Corn Ice Cream


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Hi There!!
I'm glad you stopped by Cute Little Cottage here on Beaver Lake! I'll be happy to call you back, answer any questions you have, confirm dates, take payment info and make reservations. (Just a Note: if two requests come in for the same dates, the request form received first will be accepted.) Your paid invoice is by email with your driving directions.
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Browsing on your mobile?
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Viewing on your PC? Email me now!
Thanks for choosing Cute Little Cottage for your stay! You will have a great time here and in NW Arkansas.
If there is anything I can do to make your stay more enjoyable… please let me know.
SunnyBACK TO Cute Little Cottage Sunny's Office


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ZipHub's leadership team will bring a vast array of knowledge and experience to build ZipHub into a great company.
ZipHub's leadership team will bring a vast array of knowledge and experience to build ZipHub into a great company.
President & Co-Founder.
Ms. Martini earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Southern Illinois University and brings 22 years of financial and managerial accounting experience to the ZipHub team. She has worked directly with the Chief Financial Officer, Controller, Capital Investor Groups, and Board of Directors within businesses that are publicly traded, listing either on the NYSE or the NASDAQ. This experience has provided exposure to a variety of sophisticated financial transactions and related accounting treatment methodologies, regulatory compliance efforts, large and small capital raise efforts, multi-purpose financial, accounting and operational reporting, mergers and acquisitions, and oversight management of both large and small accounting departments. She served as Accounting Manager for Athlon Energy Inc, where she worked closely with auditors during the Company's IPO and SOX implementation and on its $7.1 billion merger with EnCana Corporation.
Director & Co-Founder.
Mr. Howard is a graduate of Faith Bible Institute and will be instrumental to our faith-based efforts to engage the evangelical community in the Las Vegas Market. Mr. Howard has performed as General Manager with full profit and loss accountability for numerous global organizations such as, Tyco – SimplexGrinnell, Siemens and Cerberus Pyrotronics. He is currently Area Solutions Sales Manager for Tyco – SimplexGrinnell. In his role as Director, Mr. Howard will ensure that our Senior Management Team acquires strategic direction and leadership in our pursuit of success.
Business Development, Director & Founder.
Ms. Frank is the current owner and operator of the Diane Frank Team – Keller Williams office in the Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino, Ca.). Before owning the Keller Williams office, she was a top selling agent for Coldwell Banker in the Inland Empire. Ms. Frank has owned and managed various other businesses in her career.
Director and Non-Profit Management & Financial Consultant.
Mr. Williams is a results-oriented finance executive with strong operational skills who is a trusted advisor and leader with a proven record of generating revenue, controlling costs, building high performance teams and guiding non-profit and value driven companies through substantial change.
Mr. Williams is a big-picture thinker adept at managing risk, identifying opportunities, understanding predictability and driving innovation and has proven so in his various positions throughout his career. Mr. Williams has served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and later Chief Operating Officer for Verizon Federal Systems as well as Chief Financial Officer for several major non-profit associations and international development organizations in his career.
His additional professional experiences include his serving as a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania and as a financial advisor to the Philadelphia Tribune's Board of Directors. He is a member of National Black MBA Association, Society of Black Engineers, Association of Finance Professionals and is a regular presenter at industry conferences.
Mr. Williams holds an MBA in Finance and Decision Sciences from the Wharton Graduate Business School, a MSEE in Computer and Information Technology and a BSE in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania and he has completed post-graduate studies at MIT and the Darden School's Graduate Executive Education Program. In 2014 he was named first runner-up as NFP CFO of the Year by the Washington Business Journal and Practitioner of the Year by the industry group InsideNGO.
Marketing and Media Consultant.
Mr. Jacobsen studied telecommunications at Oral Roberts University and has been involved in television production for over thirty years. His extensive technical directing credits include numerous specials and television shows and he is currently working on "Jeopardy!" and directing the NFL Channel's Sunday night highlights show, among numerous other projects through CC Jacobsen Productions with his wife, Cindy. In addition to Mr. Jacobsen's directing success, he has published several books and has served as a worship leader, a musician, a home fellowship leader, a teacher and as a part time associate pastor. He and his wife look at his career in the entertainment industry as a mission field and strive to make a difference behind the scenes in television production as well as being a living ambassador for Jesus to the lives of the people in the industry.
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My latest project, "Intent To Destroy" is set to Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival on April 25th, 2017. Check out the synopsis below!
"Academy Award® nominated director Joe Berlinger embeds himself on the epic film set of Terry George's The Promise (starring Oscar Isaac, Christian Bale, Charlotte Le Bon, and with Angela Sarafyan), to take an unwavering look at the Armenian Genocide. Historians, scholars, and high-profile filmmakers come together in Berlinger's cinematic exploration of the tangled web of responsibility that has driven a century of denial by the Turkish government and its strategic allies. Intent to Destroy is a timely reckoning with the large-scale suppression of a historical tragedy. Berlinger confronts the fraught task of shedding light on the Armenian Genocide — whose witnesses and descendants are still fighting to be officially acknowledged as such by the international community — how it was carried out during World War I as the reign of the Ottoman empire drew to a close, and how it laid the groundwork for the genocides that followed."


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1730 M Street, N.W., Suite 218
Washington, D.C. 20036-4505
(See FAA Repeats Mistakes Of The Past)
Analysis of Disclosures, Agency Investigation and Reports, Whistleblower Comments, and Comments of the Special Counsel—OSC File Nos. DI-02-1869 and DI-03-0806
The disclosures in this matter were made by Gabriel D. Bruno, former Manager of the Orlando Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), who has been employed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for more than 24 years, and Dorvin Hagen, a former Supervisory Safety Inspector of the Orlando FSDO employed by FAA for 29 years. Mr. Bruno was responsible for overseeing all commercial aviation safety activities within his district office, including the FSDO's three Certificate Management Units (CMUs), which provide certification and monitoring of the assigned air carriers to ensure compliance with aviation safety regulations and procedures. Mr. Hagen served as the Supervisory Aviation Safety Inspector for the AirTran CMU from 1998 until August 2001.
Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen disclosed two allegations of wrongdoing by officials within FAA's Southern Region Flight Standards Division (FSD), which oversees the Orlando FSDO:
1. Mr. Bruno alleged that in the spring of 2001, Dawn Veatch, then-Acting Division Manager of the Southern Region FSD, abruptly cancelled a program implemented to re-examine individuals who had received airframe and powerplant (A & P) mechanic certificates under fraudulent conditions. Mr. Bruno alleged that cancellation of this program, and the failure to re-examine more than 1,000 questionable certificate holders, represents gross mismanagement, an abuse of authority, and a substantial and specific danger to public safety; and
2. Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen alleged that Southern Region FSD management, specifically three consecutive division managers, Marion Dittman, Dawn Veatch and Nicholas Sabatini, failed to adequately staff the AirTran CMU from 1998 to 2001. They asserted that such understaffing represents gross mismanagement that resulted in a substantial and specific danger to public safety.
The Department of Transportation (DOT), Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigated these allegations and substantiated them in part. The OIG found that FAA prematurely cancelled the re-examination program and recommended that the agency ensure that all remaining suspect certificate holders be re-tested. As discussed below, the agency initiated re-examinations; however, that process has been halted by a preliminary injunction judicially imposed on FAA. While the Special Counsel has determined that the agency's findings regarding this allegation appear to be reasonable, OSC remains concerned that the re-examination process has not been completed.
The OIG also found that "there were considerable staffing issues in the Orlando FSDO" from 1998 to 2001. However, the OIG did not find evidence that the staffing shortage in the AirTran CMU could be attributed to any deliberate act or omission by the Southern Region FSD managers, nor did it find that the shortage created a substantial and specific danger to public safety. Information provided by the whistleblowers and the OIG establishes that the shortage that existed from 1998 to 2001 has since been rectified, and the AirTran CMU, now classified as a Certificate Management Office, is currently adequately staffed.
The Whistleblowers' Disclosures
Cancellation of the St. George Mechanic Re-Examination Program
St. George Aviation (St. George) in Sanford, Florida, was an FAA "designated mechanic examiner," authorized to administer FAA's A & P mechanic exam and issue A & P mechanic certificates. In May 1999, the owner of St. George and an employee were convicted of fraud and conspiracy in federal court in relation to their administration of the A & P mechanic exam and issuance of A & P mechanic certificates between 1995 and 1999. Specifically, St. George was supplying examinees with the answers to the exam prior to the exam and, in some cases, issuing certificates without any examination at all.
According to Mr. Bruno, the St. George investigation conducted by DOT OIG revealed that approximately 2,000 mechanics were certified by St. George under these fraudulent conditions and needed to be re-examined. Following the OIG investigation, the Orlando FSDO developed a program to identify and re-examine those mechanics. Re-examinations began in 1999 and, according to Mr. Bruno, there was a high rate of failure among the mechanics re-tested. Some simply relinquished their certificates without undergoing re-examination.
Mr. Bruno alleged that in the spring of 2001, Dawn Veatch, Acting Division Manager of the Southern Region FSD, ordered him to terminate the re-examination program, because the Southern Region's legal division lacked adequate resources to process the revocations of fraudulent certificates. Over Mr. Bruno's objections, all re-examinations were terminated. Mr. Bruno estimated that cancellation of this program left more than 1,000 questionable certificates, and many unqualified A & P mechanics, working in the aviation industry.
Failure to Adequately Staff the AirTran Certificate Management Unit
In April 1998, FAA transferred oversight responsibility for ValueJet Airlines from the Atlanta FSDO to the Orlando FSDO. In March 1999, ValueJet merged with AirTran Airways. The Orlando FSDO oversaw the merger and maintained the AirTran CMU following the merger. Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen alleged that prior to the merger, the Orlando FSDO developed a staffing plan for proper oversight of AirTran, taking into account the airline's history, including the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB's) findings regarding the 1996 ValueJet plane crash, the merger, and AirTran's plan for considerable growth. They alleged that they presented their staffing plan to the Southern Region FSD in October 1997, and that it was approved by Division Manager, Michael Sacrey, in December 1997.
The staffing plan called for eight inspectors, with six additional inspectors to be hired six months prior to the delivery of the first B-717 aircraft. Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen asserted that, despite the approval of this plan, their efforts to ensure the required staffing, and the arrival of the B-717 aircrafts in September 1999, the AirTran CMU never had more than seven inspectors during the three years following the merger, leaving the CMU grossly understaffed. They pointed out that the prior ValueJet CMU in the Atlanta FSDO had fourteen inspectors for oversight of a smaller airline operation with fewer aircraft.
Over the course of that three-year period, Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen sought additional inspectors for the AirTran CMU, to no avail. In October 2000, they met with Marion Dittman, then-Acting Division Manager of the Southern Region FSD. Mr. Hagen outlined for Ms. Dittman the safety oversight functions that they were unable to accomplish because of inadequate staffing. The failure to adequately perform these functions was particularly troubling to Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen, because inadequate FAA oversight of the airline was cited by NTSB in its review of the 1996 ValueJet crash. They alleged that Ms. Dittman acknowledged the staffing shortage yet failed to allocate additional inspectors.
After further follow-up by Mr. Bruno, the Director of the FSD, Nicholas Lacey, ordered an independent staffing study of the AirTran CMU in December 2000. The study, completed by a member of the Southwestern Region FSD in early January 2001, concluded that the AirTran CMU required a minimum of four, ideally five, additional inspectors. The study recommended increasing the staff by four inspectors "as soon as possible" and a fifth inspector when resources became available. In response, Mr. Lacey ordered the Southern Region to hire four additional inspectors by the end of February 2001. However, Southern Region FSD management, specifically Ms. Dittman and her successors, Dawn Veatch and Nicholas Sabatini, failed to fill those positions. At the time of Mr. Bruno's and Mr. Hagen's departure from the Orlando FSDO in the summer of 2001, none of the four positions had been filled.
The Department of Transportation Investigation and Reports
Cancellation of the St. George Re-Examination Program
According to the OIG's initial report, dated January 16, 2004, "FAA prematurely cancelled its re-examination program," and the number of mechanics who had not been re-examined and might fail "represents a measurable impact on aviation safety." The OIG found that FAA failed to follow through on its previous commitment to re-examine all 1,626 mechanics who had received certificates from St. George between October 1995 and October 1998, the time frame in which the OIG determined fraudulent certificates were issued. Instead, FAA limited re-examinations to those individuals who were certified after June 11, 1998, the date on which the OIG investigation began.
Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen stated that subsequent to their departure from the Orlando FSDO in July 2001 and August 2001, respectively, additional inspectors were hired for the AirTran CMU.
According to the report, Dawn Veatch directed cancellation of the program after only 130 mechanics had been re-examined based on: (1) an opinion from the Regional Counsel's Office that it was "merely speculation that the balance of the approximately 1,228 certificate holders identified for re-examination had not received a valid test from [St. George]; " and (2) advice from the Regional Air Safety Regulation Branch that given the passage of two years since St. George's closure and a pass-rate of 79 percent for the mechanics who were re-examined, there was "no conclusive measurable impact on aviation safety and the flying public that can be attributed to individuals tested at [St. George]."
The report states that the OIG disagreed with FAA's limitation of the re-examination program to only those mechanics certified after June 11, 1998, because FAA had information that suspicious testing activities were occurring at St. George as early as May 1995. In addition, the OIG believed that the pass-rate of 79 percent was a matter of significant concern. The OIG stated, "[i]n our view, this does represent a measurable impact on aviation safety."
Accordingly, the OIG recommended that FAA take steps to re-examine the remaining 1,228 mechanics who received certificates from St. George under suspect conditions. The initial report did not include what steps FAA had taken in response to this recommendation. Thus, OSC followed up with the OIG on this issue. After communications with the OIG and James Ballough, Director, FAA Flight Standards Service, the OIG provided in its June 9, 2004, supplemental report, assurance that FAA was implementing steps to re-examine all mechanics who received certificates from St. George dating back to May 1995.
Subsequently, however, Mr. Bruno informed OSC that the new re-examination program had been cancelled. OSC followed up with the OIG and the FAA Office of the Chief Counsel (OCC), which confirmed the cancellation of the re-examination program. Susan Caron, OCC, advised OSC that the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting FAA from proceeding with re-examinations for several mechanics who filed suit challenging the legality of the re-examinations. She further advised that FAA had filed an appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit of the preliminary injunction which is pending and that the re-examinations were suspended pending the outcome of the litigation.
Mr. Bruno provided comments regarding this allegation. He pointed out that the cancellation of the re-examination program placed the public at risk for more than three years by allowing unqualified individuals to remain in the aviation system. He also raised concern that, according to Flight Standards Information Bulletin 04-10, attached as Exhibit 50 to his comments, the new re-examination program includes the written and oral segments of the exam, but not the practical exam required for original certification. He expressed concern that the OIG investigation of the cancellation of the re-examination program will do little to rectify the problems associated with FAA's oversight of the Designated Mechanic Examiner program, and that abuses of authority, gross mismanagement and risks to the public will continue.
Understaffing of AirTran CMU
In its initial report, the OIG found that Southern Region FSD provided adequate staff for the AirTran CMU. However, the report states that Mr. Bruno diverted the personnel hired or transferred to assist in the St. George re-examination program.
According to the initial report, the OIG found that Southern Region FSD management "took significant measures, including multiple re-writes and submissions of special position requests, to assist Mr. Bruno in obtaining the staff necessary for the CMU." Contrary to Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen's allegations, the report states that the original staffing plan for the AirTran CMU was reviewed by the Flight Standards National Position Classification Panel (FSNPCP) in December 1999; however, FSNPCP did not find sufficient justification for the positions requested and recommended that Mr. Bruno submit a unique position request for temporary positions. The report does not state from whom the OIG obtained this information or provide any documentation to support these findings. In fact, the report states that FAA was unable to provide such documentation.
In addition, the initial report states that the 2001 staffing study ordered by Mr. Lacey "demonstrated that the CMU for AirTran Airways was staffed on a par with other CMUs with similar responsibilities. . ." However, according to the chart from that study, included on page 10 of the initial report, the AirTran CMU was the only one of the ten compared that needed five additional inspectors. Five of the CMUs did not require any additional personnel, and each of the other four required one or two additional inspectors. The report confirms that the staffing study recommended that the AirTran CMU hire five additional inspectors.
The initial report states that following the staffing study, Mr. Bruno refused offers by Southern Region FSD to hire aviation safety inspectors and made requests to hire inspectors at higher grades. The report states that "FAA told us that these are specialized positions and require specific justification for hiring." According to the report, FAA filled three of the inspector positions before the February 2001 deadline; however, Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen continued to request a contract maintenance inspector, which was denied by FAA.
The initial report further states that Ms. Dittman and Ms. Veatch advised the OIG that "Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen were repeatedly asking for additional personnel" for the AirTran CMU. They also stated that Mr. Bruno diverted personnel from the AirTran CMU to staff the St. George re-examination program. The initial report notes that Mr. Bruno's successor, Jack Moyers, advised the OIG that he had "ample staff" to properly manage the AirTran CMU when he became the CMU manager in August 2001 but does not state how many inspectors Mr. Moyers had initially or when additional inspectors were obtained.
Following review of the initial report and comments submitted by Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen, OSC sought clarification and additional information from the OIG regarding the OIG states in footnote 8 that "FAA told us that their staffing numbers are based on a dynamic computerized staffing model that updates annually, overwriting the previous year's projections. Accordingly, FAA was unable to provide our office with written documentation of staffing goals during this period."
AirTran CMU staffing issue. OSC asked the OIG to identify the information relied on to reach its finding that adequate staffing was provided to the AirTran CMU, including identification of individuals interviewed for the investigation and any documentation relied on by the OIG. In response, the OIG produced a supplemental report, dated June 9, 2004.
OIG's First Supplemental Report
The OIG states in the supplemental report that it relied on documents provided by Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen, documents available at the Southern Region FSD and Orlando FSDO, FAA regulations, and interviews with relevant personnel. The supplemental report states that based on the documents attached to the report, the OIG found that: (1) Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen were constantly asking for personnel assignments and positions that were not justified by the size of the AirTran CMU; (2) Southern Region FSD and the Southern Region Personnel Office attempted to assist Mr. Bruno in obtaining sufficient staff for the AirTran CMU; and (3) staffing levels within the AirTran CMU were consistent with levels at similar facilities.
In support of the OIG's finding regarding repeated requests for "unrated" positions, the supplemental report includes in Exhibit 1 the original AirTran CMU staffing plan prepared by the Orlando FSDO, which Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen alleged was approved in December 1997. The report states that this plan requests "staffing support for the AirTran CMU based on the ATOS staffing model." The report further states that the AirTran CMU was never officially authorized for the ATOS program. According to the report, Nancy Aadland, FAA's ATOS Program Office Manager, advised the OIG that AirTran "has never been identified or scheduled to become an ATOS carrier."
Exhibit 1 of the supplemental report also includes the October 28, 1999, AirTran Training Requirement provided to the OIG by Mr. Hagen. The Memorandum of Activity prepared by the OIG investigator, at Exhibit 1, states that this document reveals that the AirTran CMU had a total of 20 inspectors and concludes that the staffing for the CMU exceeded Mr. Hagen's request for 14 inspectors. The supplemental report provides additional documentation reflecting ongoing communications between the Orlando FSDO and the Southern Region FSD regarding staffing issues of the AirTran CMU – at the time of the merger and beyond – including requests for additional inspectors and documentation reflecting that certain requests were denied on the basis of the size and workload of the AirTran CMU.
In addition, the supplemental report provides a copy of the 2001 independent staffing study, at Exhibit 12. The report notes that at the time of the study, the AirTran CMU had seven aviation safety inspectors, and that the staffing study recommended that the CMU should be increased by five aviation safety inspectors. The staffing study states that "[i]t appears that this certificate has suffered the same fate that the Mesa certificate (and probably other certificates) has – insufficient resources to meet the identified needs."
The supplemental report provides information on the Air Transportation Oversight System (ATOS) program, which is described as a "new and innovative" way of inspecting the airlines, designed to identify trends in order to spot and correct problems at their root cause. The report explains that the ATOS program initially included only the ten largest airlines, but will eventually include all airlines.
The supplemental report further states that following the study, Ms. Dittman obtained hiring authority for four of the recommended aviation safety inspectors; however, Mr. Bruno submitted requests for more specialized inspectors, including Assistant Principal Operations Inspectors, an Assistant Principal Maintenance Inspector, and a Contract Maintenance Inspector (CMI). The report states that the request for the CMI was denied.
The supplemental report also provides summaries of the OIG investigator's interviews with Ms. Veatch and Ms. Dittman, two of the three individuals Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen alleged were responsible for the understaffing of the AirTran CMU, and with Mr. Moyers, Mr. Bruno's successor. The summary of Ms. Dittman's interview reflects that she advised the OIG investigator that "the Southern Region has always been understaffed, but it's incumbent upon the local FSDO Managers to properly manage the resources provided by means of prioritization and appropriate tasking of their limited resources." Ms. Dittman was unable to provide any specific information regarding numbers or dates of personnel allocations for the Orlando FSDO or the AirTran CMU. She stated she recalled offering geographical assistance.
The summary of Ms. Veatch's interview reflects that she provided similar information. She stated that Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen were offered, but refused, geographical support. Ms. Veatch and Ms. Dittman both stated that Mr. Bruno diverted FSDO staff, including staff designated for the AirTran CMU, to support the St. George re-examination project. The report reflects that Mr. Moyers advised the OIG that the AirTran CMO is currently staffed adequately with 21 inspectors.
The supplemental report further states that based on its review of the AirTran CMU personnel files, the OIG concluded that staffing levels at the CMU were consistent with those of similar facilities. The report cites the staffing study in support of this finding.
OIG's Second Supplemental Report
Subsequent to the initial report, Mr. Bruno raised in his comments and advised OSC that he had provided to the OIG investigator a copy of a 2001 document relating to the AirTran fleet size that he alleged was falsified and entered into the FAA's Vital Information System (VIS). A copy of the document is included as Exhibit 33 with Mr. Bruno's comments. Mr. Bruno alleged that this document falsely represents the AirTran fleet size in October 2001 to be twice its actual size – 120 aircraft rather than 58. He further alleged that this false representation of the fleet size was used to obtain authorization to establish an AirTran Certificate Management Office (CMO), separate from the FSDO. Such authorization was granted in December 2003.
OSC requested that the OIG review and respond to this allegation. In response, the OIG investigated and produced a second supplemental report, dated August 17, 2004. The OIG found that, as Mr. Bruno alleged, the VIS document does not accurately depict the AirTran fleet size in October 2001. However, the OIG found that neither the inaccurate document nor the 120 figure were used to obtain CMO approval, and that such approval was granted based on factors other than fleet size. The report includes documents provided by FAA reflecting accurate fleet size and the basis for CMO approval.
OIG's Third Supplemental Report
At OSC's request, the OIG revisited the staffing issue in a third supplemental report, received on April 7, 2005. In the third supplemental report, the OIG concedes that, as Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen alleged, "there were considerable staffing issues in the Orlando FSDO" from 1998 to 2001. However, the OIG notes that the staffing shortages were not unique to Orlando, but, rather, were experienced throughout the entire agency. The report also explains that the OIG did not find any evidence showing that the Southern Region FSD managers deliberately created or contributed to the staffing shortages.
The OIG also did not believe that the staffing shortages created a danger to public safety, or significantly compromised the AirTran CMU's ability to perform its function. In support, the report cites an employee award recommendation Mr. Bruno submitted on March 15, 2000, that claimed that, for the AirTran certificate, "day to day operations were monitored with unprecedented scrutiny." The report also states that the award recommendation indicates that inspectors attended daily morning meetings to discuss the previous day's problems. The OIG asserts that attending such meetings extended above and beyond the inspector's normal duties, which belies the whistleblowers' contention that the office had inadequate staff to perform required duties.
Whistleblowers' Comments
Mr. Bruno and Mr. Hagen provided extensive comments and supporting documentation in response to the OIG's findings regarding the AirTran understaffing allegations. They outlined the extensive documentation relating to AirTran staffing that they provided in support of their allegations. They then commented on the lack of documentation provided by FAA to refute the allegations or support FAA's position, and raised concerns regarding FAA's apparent failure to maintain official records. In addition, both noted that the OIG primarily relied on statements from Ms. Veatch and Ms. Dittman, the two primary subjects, and did not interview or seek information from the several individuals they identified as having valuable information regarding the AirTran CMU staffing during the time frame in question. Additional key points raised in their comments are discussed below.
Mr. Bruno outlined the memoranda and related documents that he provided to illustrate the staffing needs of the AirTran CMU and his and Mr. Hagen's efforts to resolve critical staffing issues. He noted that the OIG failed to explain how FAA met the staffing needs of the CMU, or explain why the CMU was not allocated the 14 positions called for in the staffing plan and previously dedicated to ValueJet before the merger. He refuted the assertion that Southern Region management assisted in obtaining the necessary staff. He further maintained the "special position requests" and numerous re-writes were an unnecessary stalling tactic forced on the in addition to his comments, Mr. Hagen provided to OSC a copy of the tape recording of his interview with the OIG investigator. OSC has placed the tape in Mr. Hagen's case file.
Orlando FSDO by the Southern Region management, which was unwilling to provide adequate staffing. He also pointed out that some of the information provided to show Southern Region FSD assistance pertained to filling vacant positions rather than additional staff.
Mr. Bruno also asserted that the OIG's finding that the 2001 staffing study demonstrated that the AirTran CMU was "on a par" with other CMUs distorts the study's finding and ignores the recommendation to increase the CMU's staff to 14, ideally 15, personnel. He refuted the OIG's allegation that following the staffing study and recommendation for additional aviation safety inspectors, he requested more specialized inspectors that were not justified. He pointed out that all of the positions he requested are aviation safety inspector positions, some of which were specifically recommended in the staffing study. He stated that he was identifying for the region, at their request, the position descriptions that he would use to assign these inspectors to perform.
Mr. Bruno adamantly denied that he diverted personnel from the AirTran CMU to support the St. George re-examination program. He stated that he provided the OIG with a copy of the St. George Action Plan, at Exhibit 2, which was approved by FAA Headquarters and specifically identifies the inspectors assigned to the program. He stated that there is no confusion regarding this issue, and noted that these accusations were presented by Ms. Dittman, the individual responsible for the understaffing. He further stated that the AirTran CMU was still seriously understaffed in August 2001, as he documented. Lastly, Mr. Bruno objected to the OIG's claim that the March 15, 2000, award recommendation showed that the CMU had adequate staff to fulfill all job duties. On the contrary, he asserted that he made the award recommendation in order to recognize the hard work performed by his limited staff under difficult conditions, which often included working nights, weekends and holidays.
In his comments, Mr. Hagen strongly refuted the OIG's statement that the original staffing plan calling for 14 inspectors, which he prepared, was based on the ATOS staffing model. He also objected to the assertion that AirTran was never identified or scheduled for ATOS, and, in support, he provided documentation prepared by Ms. Aadland showing that AirTran had, in fact, been slated for the ATOS program. He also contested the OIG's conclusion that, according to the AirTran Training Requirement, the CMU had 20 inspectors. He explained that that document was prepared as a cost summary of training required under ATOS when AirTran was being considered, and that 20 inspectors were never assigned to the CMU. Both Mr. Hagen and Mr. Bruno stressed in their comments that this newly raised issue of whether AirTran was considered for the ATOS program is not relevant to the question of whether the AirTran CMU was adequately staffed. Mr. Hagen expressed disappointment that the OIG did not probe further into FAA's decision not to transfer inspectors from Atlanta to Orlando after the agency transferred oversight responsibility from the Atlanta FSDO to the Orlando FSDO. He argued that this decision was untenable in light of the fact that the Certificate Management of ValuJet Airlines was one of FAA's greatest priorities at that time.
Based on the representations made in the agency reports and as stated above, I have determined that the agency's reports collectively contain all of the information required by statute and the agency's findings appear to be reasonable. It is, nevertheless, troubling that FAA has been forced to cancel the re-examination program initiated in response to this investigation because of the preliminary injunction. In light of the OIG's finding that the number of individuals who have not been re-examined represents a measurable impact on aviation safety, this issue remains unresolved.
Because there remain concerns regarding the termination of the re-examination program, the Special Counsel recommends follow-up with the agency to determine the status of the litigation and any steps the agency is taking to effectively complete the re-examinations.
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Appended is the text of President LINCOLN'S last proclamation:
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Home › Forums › General Discussion › Own Deluxe Villas in Exotic Wayanad
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June 16, 2017 at 2:32 am #36048
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